Transport dept to deploy pvt buses for daily passengers

The state transport department is considering a proposal to deploy private buses that run for a stipulated time to ferry passengers. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the transport department to make plans so that more commuters can avail the service. 

Alapan Bandyopadhyay, principal secretary of the state transport department, said talks in this regard were on with the big players in the field. 

It is often found that commuters are waiting for a bus and neither state run not private ones is available mainly after the dusk.  

There are many buses which ply only for a stipulated period and rest of the time they remain parked. For example, air-conditioned buses that sometimes take school and college goers mainly ply only for a few hours. Such buses also operate to ferry officials of different private companies as well. There are many such air-conditioned buses those get booked only two to three days a week. Rest of the days the buses do not ply and owners incur losses. Thus the plan is to make use of these buses for the benefits of commuters. 

“Most of the buses are free after 4 pm. Thus there is no problem in plying these buses for commuters in the evening till late night,” an official of the transport department said. 

The most interesting part of the plan is that there will be apps for mobile phones using which a commuter can book a seat. The state transport department has planned to introduce buses with 16 to 26 seating capacity. The app will also help to know the availability of the buses on a particular route at a certain time. 

Using the app commuters can easily note the routes. It will also help people to know the places from where it will start plying and where are the stoppages. 

With the introduction of such buses, commuters no more have to worry even after 10 pm. The plan to engage these buses have been made as they bear contract carriage permits.